A video circulating on social media appears to show a United Airlines flight narrowly avoiding a serious accident as it landed at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday. The footage, which has not been officially confirmed by authorities, depicts United flight 169 coming perilously close to a passing truck on the New Jersey Turnpike.
United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the aircraft landed safely and no passengers or crew were injured. The airline added that its maintenance team is evaluating damage to the aircraft and that a rigorous flight safety investigation will be conducted. The crew has been removed from service as part of the process. There were 231 people on board, including pilots and crew.
According to New Jersey State Police, the underside and tyre of the jet struck a pole and the truck's trailer. The pole then hit another car, a Jeep, whose driver was uninjured. The truck, driven by Warren Boardley, 39, sustained a hole in its cab and a shattered windshield. Boardley, who was on a bakery delivery, was taken to hospital with minor cuts from broken glass and later discharged. Chuck Paterakis, vice president of transport and logistics for H&S Bakery, told The New York Times that Boardley was 'shaken up and amazed at what happened, and thankful he is still alive'.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the accident, with investigators arriving in Newark on Monday. The agency said the investigation will examine flight operations, meteorological conditions, human performance, crew resource management, aircraft performance and air traffic control. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days. Unconfirmed air traffic controller audio suggested the crash may have left a hole in the side of the plane.
Aviation experts have noted the complexity of approaches into Newark. Safety expert Steve Arroyo, a former United pilot, described it as 'one of the most challenging approaches in the world' with an 'extremely low' margin of error. The plane landed on Runway 29, Newark's shortest at 6,726 feet. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident 'unacceptable' and said it would be studied and learned from.
The incident follows a string of recent air disasters, including a runway collision between an Air Canada jet and a truck at LaGuardia in March that killed two, and a 2025 collision between a military helicopter and a commercial jet near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.
